terrestrial world, an encounter with the God of the millennium, is called the second comforter. The God of this terrestrial world is Jesus Christ.

Transcription

1 Podcast_003_Adversity By Mike Stroud Mike: Last week we talked about the telestial world. I want to chat a little bit more about the purposes are coming into this world is to experience diversity. We mentioned three works last week: opposition, adversity, and resistance... Opposition, adversity, and resistance. And all three of those seem to indicate an adverse... we're going to have to push hard against something in order to accomplish a goal. Everything in this world opposes everything else. It's a world of opposition. And the reason it's a world of opposition is that it's the only place where man can come and exercise moral agency, Or what we call free agency. By the way, the word free agency is not a scriptural term. Nowhere in the Scriptures does it refer to as free agency, that's something we call it. But these telestial, worlds that are opposing worlds, they have opposition... are absolutely necessary in order for us to exercise agency. Otherwise, as it says over in second Nephi chapter 11, that when Lehi says, In the state of one. There would be no opposing views, there would be no opposing circumstances, there be no growth, no progress, and it would be a frustrated creation with no purpose and in its creation or the end thereof. So let's talk about little bit about adversity. I got a couple of quotes I want to read to you tonight. One comes from Brigham Young. This is from the Discourses of Brigham Young page 345. And he says this, this is my favorite quotes on adversity, opposition, trials, tribulations, etc., etc.. Quote "all intelligent beings who are crowned with the crowns of glory immortality and eternal life and eternal lives", LIVES, " must pass through every ordeal appointed for intelligent beings to pass through." What you pay attention to that. You have to pass through every ordeal appointed for intelligent beings to pass through, " to gain their glory and exultation. Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few. " That's an interesting statement. "Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord. If we obtain the glory that Abraham attained we must do so by the same means that he did. If were ever prepared to enjoy the society of Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or of their faithful children, and of the faithful prophets and apostles, we must pass through the same experience to gain the knowledge and intelligence and endowments that will prepare us to enter into the kingdom of our father and God. How many of the latter-day Saints will endure all these things and be prepared to enjoy the presence of the father and of the son? You can answer that question as true leisure." Then this last part. "Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation." Now there are several things in that quote that I think are interesting. These ordeals that we go through our appointed. Another quote which I'm going to read to you in a minute, says they are ordained ordeals. They belong to you. They are unique. Brother Neil Maxwell said, "there are two kinds of adversity in this world. There is the common adversity that everyone goes through and is a part of just being here in this fallen world. And then there's what he calls ordained tutorials, That are specific, that just belong just to you. And that you knew about before you came here. And these are designed to have a specific effect upon your progress." So what we can learn from that is that if you want to go where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are; you are going to have to have trials that will try you to the same extent that tried them or you can't hope to have an inheritance with them wherever they are at. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll be called upon to offer up your son. But it will be for you, as greater trial, as it was for them. These are Called Abrahamic trials. Moroni talk about it. He said he talked about you would have the trial of your faith. There would be something called the trial of your fail... Not trials, but the trial of your faith. And that trial would bring you to know God in a way that you could not know otherwise. Now, whenever we talk about knowing God, here, in all of our discussions here, were talking about a level above what we talk about testimony meetings on the first Sundayof each month. Were talking about knowing God, not knowing about him, but knowing him; in the way that Joseph Smith talked about it. That means you have an encounter with God while you're in this life. Now these things have names. An encounter with God, an encounter with the God of the

2 terrestrial world, an encounter with the God of the millennium, is called the second comforter. The God of this terrestrial world is Jesus Christ. And Joseph Smith taught that it is desirable for to seek after and have that experience. You can't have that experience unless you can be trusted. If you were to have an encounter, an visitation with the son of God, or with an angel, or with the spirit of just men made perfect, or with any heavenly being, and then turn against that... your condemnation would be so great, that would frustrate the very purpose of the visitation in the first place. So, God has to be able to know... can I trust you with this information. Can I trust you with this experience. And the only he can know that is to put you in a position of opposition, and adversity, and trial, to see if you remain faithful to him in the midst of all these adverse situations. The purpose of adversity, there are several purposes, one of the purposes is to find out... can I trust you enough with sacred things so that when I real myself to you, you won't violate that trust and bring upon yourself damnation. Because, we're much is given, much is required, And if you sin against the great light you receive greater condemnation. The purpose, one of the purposes, of adversity and trial is to put you in a position where you can prove to God, he already knows, you can prove that you are willing to do all things whatsoever he commands you. And that he can give you more, line upon line. If he reveals himself to you and you violate that trust, not only do you condemn yourself, but you go backwards in your experience. You backward in knowledge. You go backwards in power. Everything goes backwards. Because if you violated a trust. So there's two things God wants to know: can I trust you... and you prove that by showing that you trust him. So it's trust going both ways. So Lord comes out and says, "trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths." So you need to be able to trust him. And once he knows that you trust him, then he will bless you with information, and bless you with spiritual experiences that will increase your spirituality, your standing, and accelerate your pathway back into the presence of the father. That's the whole purpose of this... Is to move us along that path, so that we can successfully complete this journey. And I will give you one more quote and then we will open this up. This is from Brigham Young again, talking about Christianity. And he says, talking about general Christianity he says, " they cannot dwell with the father and his son, unless they go through those ordeals which are ordained for the Church of the Firstborn. The ordinances of the house of God are expressly for the Church of the Firstborn." The Church of the Firstborn is not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an outward organization, it's a general organization, it's a preparatory organization that's trying to prepare you to go come up to and obtain something higher. If the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an outward organization; the Church of the Firstborn is an inward organization. If the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is preparatory; the Church of the Firstborn is the church that is presided over by Christ himself. One of the things the Lord wants us to do is to come into and obtain membership in the Church of the Firstborn. All of the temple ordinances, the minute you go into to the temple, the first thing you experience is called initiatory. Your being initiated, through this ordinances called The Initiatory, you're been initiated into the Church of the Firstborn. That's what initiatory is. So the purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to bring men and women out of the world into membership into this church and immediately began to prepare them to come into something higher... the temple. All of these experiences, all of this adversity, all of this opposition, is designed to test us and prove us along the way so that God knows that he can trust you. Notice in that last statement said, "these ordeals are ordained for the Church of the Firstborn." All of the ordinances of the house of God are expressly for that purpose. Here is one more quote. Again this is Brigham Young, he says, "to have the promise of receiving eternal lives," LIVES, as and by the way there's a difference between eternal life and eternal lives. " So

3 seal upon our heads of no power on earth or in heaven or beneath or beneath the earth can take from us is to the sealed up to the day of redemption and to have the promise of eternal lives, the greatest gift of all. The people do not fully understand these things and have not them in full vision before their minds. If they did I tell you plainly and honestly," this right here, " there is not a trial which the Saints are called to pass through that they would not realize and acknowledged to be their greatest blessings." Did you see that? So now we have a unique perspective of suffering, of trials, of tribulations, of adversity, of opposition, and resistance. In reality, if we understood these things, we would understand that they are the very things that bring us our greatest blessings. [12:38] So We look at things differently. Last week I asked the question, " why do bad things happen to good people?... Is a great philosophical question of all times. And the answer to that is... there is no such thing. There is no such thing as bad things happening to good people. All there is his life. And now we have a different perspective that there, are there, some trials and tribulations that are actually specifically ordained for us in this life to bring about specific results. The more you can handle, the more that you can show that you can be faithful in tribulation and trial, the more the Lord will move you upward in the scale of things, with these trials increasing, so that you can come up eventually into the Church of the Firstborn and dwell with all the holy fathers in the presence of God to go no more out. So has a purpose. All of this has a purpose. Now, let us stop for just a moment and that's ask if you have any comments or questions about that. That is the unique perspective of the latter-day Saint restored doctrine on opposition, resistance, and diversity. Any questions or comments or thoughts. Any questions or comments? Student: How... I've been thinking about Zion people becoming individuals, you know, a Zion individual... this is all... helping us become a Zion individual... right? Mike: Exactly! What we do is we have an assignment ahead of us as a member of the church. Its unique in a way that our mission is to establish a society, a Zion society, and do it successfully, like it's never been done ever since Adam came out of the garden of Eden. The Lord Jesus Christ, when he comes to the earth, has to have a group of people who are prepared to receive him... that are sanctified... Student: or he will not come. Mike: Pardon. student: or he will not come? Mike: according to some of the writings of the early brothern, That.. That or he will not come; that is correct. Now there is... were told by the early brothern that the time of the second coming is a fixed time. Therefore, if we who have the opportunity now, to establish this Zion, this Zion people followed by a society... If we can't do it then he will find somebody who can... Because were told that the date of the second coming is a fixed date. student: okay<???> Mike: so if we don't get it done. If we don't get it done, he is going to raise up of people who will. Because he won't come until there's a people prepared to receive him. If he comes as Lord of Lord, and King of Kings, is got to have on earth a group of people that are referred to as Lords, Kings, Queens, Priests, and Priestesses in order to receive him. student: you mean members of the Church of the Firstborn? Mike: that means a Zion person, a person who's come up and obtained that status, is at person who's come up and be able to stand in the presence of the Lord. It's going to come to that point. Eventually in the millennium everybody's going to be in his presence. And it's a place everyone will say, know the Lord because everybody in the millennium will be enjoying the second comforter experience. It's a unique opportunity for those of us, who here behind the veil, at the time when the earth is preparing for these changes, to come up and obtained that before the second coming. To be that group of people, that

4 the Lord can come to, first of all, personally. And then you get enough of those people, that he appears to, an comes to personally, and they then, form a group or society and he comes to the society of people. At that point we will have a call come out from, I assume, the president of the church for those people to gather and begin the process of building this new Jerusalem. It's got a be... got a be there before he comes. I feel that there is hovering over the Latter-day Saints now a spirit of preparation for men and women, who are members of the church, who come up to this ideal and obtained this stature before the Lord. You can't do it though without tremendous adversity. Those who come into the presence of the Lord in this life and have that personal audience with him are people who have been tried and tested to the maximum. Because if you know if you have that experience, brothers and sisters, and if you sin against it; the condemnation is tremendous. It's tremendous. If you come up and receive a fullness of the Melchizedek priesthood and then turn against that, well... you become a son of perdition. And the Lord's not here to cause... to have these types of failures; he's here to exalt people, not to damn them. So the only way he can tell if you're to be a part of that society, if he could trust you with that, is to put you in the depths of these trials and tribulations and then you come through those refined as gold. As matter of fact, I have a different view of... at this point in my life... of tribulations of the last days. We all know what's coming. You can read the Scriptures; you go to section 29; you go to section 88; you go to section 101; you read D&C 45. All of these talk about the great signs and upheavals prior to the second coming. I used to think that those are experiences that took place because of man's wickedness and anger and vengeance of God. I now have a different view on that. I have a view that these very things, these upheavals are provided so that those who are foreordained to become members of the Church of the Firstborn go through these trials. And through that process become sanctified, transformed, purified, and cleansed of from all sin. So they can stand in the presence of God and enjoy that company. I believe that's the primary purpose of the great upheavals in the latter days. student: maybe, it's both. Mike: maybe it's both! And there's no question about it, in the Scripture, he talks about a day of vengeance, where he takes vengeance upon the ungodly, and the wicked are burned to stubble, etc., etc.. But those who are foreordained for something greater, these experiences provide the ground for that to take place. [20:07] So it's a whole different view of things that we look at it. Let's look at a couple of Scriptures. Let's go to 2 Nephi chapter 2 for a minute. Scriptures talk about these kinds of things. 2 Nephi 2, and let's look at verses 1 and 2. 2 Nephi 2 verses 1 and 2, somebody want to read that for us? 2 Nephi 2 verses 1 and 2. student: and now, Jacob, I speak into you: thou art my firstborn in the days my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy child that thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren. Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall concentrate the line afflictions for thy gain." Mike: Okay. So let's look closely at that, in verse 1, you see three words that are mentioned. Actually four words, let's look at them... " in thy childhood thou has suffered", there's one word, " afflictions", the second word, " much sorrow", is the third word, " and rudeness", is the fourth word. Those are all opposition words. Sorrow, suffering, afflictions, and rudeness are all words that pertain to a telestial world. Now look at verse 2. Nevertheless, in other words, in spite of these four things... nevertheless means in spite of... in spite of these four things... " you know the goodness the greatness of God he shall consecrate these afflictions for your gain. " So all of the sorrow, all the suffering, all of the afflictions, and the rudeness that you've experienced in the telestial world are designed to give you spiritual eternal gain. That's what they're designed to do. Now let's look at another one let's go to section 98 of the Doctrine & Covenants. D&C 98 :1 through 3. Section 98 was at a time when the latter-day Saints were being driven out of Missouri. Some of them have been murdered, some of the

5 sister's it been raped, children have been killed, their property been burned and stolen. They were driven right out of the country across the river right into to another county. And each step that they were driven move them further and further away from Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, which was to be the place of the new Jerusalem. So let's look at verses 1 through 3. Are y'all there? D&C 98 1 through 3, so we understand the background now. This is a sad time for the latter-day Saints. "Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;" Now, there's four things Lord tells us to do in the midst of adversity. Look what it says. Don't be afraid, be comforted, rejoice evermore, and Give thanks for everything. There's four things that we can do. Here's another one, " waiting patiently on the Lord," that's five, " for your prayer have entered into the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath, and are recorded with this seal and testament the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. Therefore, he giveth us this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they should be fulfilled;" now look at the words he uses to seal upon us blessings in the midst of adversity. Go to verse 2, are you ready? He says these things are recorded with... A seal, a testament, their sworn and decreed, and promised. Now those are all words that show that if we will fear not, be comforted, rejoice evermore, give thanks in everything, and what patiently on the Lord, then the Lord has five words to describe... I've got something in store for you. And he uses those five words... And what has he got in store? " all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord." I've got written in a little note on my Scriptures, our trials become sacred ground. Even if your trial results in the shedding of your own blood, the trial where you're at, the time you're at, and the place you're at... if you're faithfully involved in the trial that becomes sacred ground. Sacred ground, comments? Does that sound okay? Did you catch those words there? See how the Lord's spells that out? [25:40 ]Let's go to the ones that's most famous. Let's go to section 121 in the Doctrine & Covenants. It's interesting that when the Lord talks about blessings for adversity in the Scriptures, it's usually at a time when the person whom he's referring to is in the midst of his deepest darkest distress. You saw that in section 98. The Lord's great promises concerning trials and tribulations came at a time when the latter-day Saints were being driven from pillar to post. They had already been driven out of New York. They been driven out of Ohio. And now they're being driven out of Missouri. And they're going to be driven out of Missouri into Nauvoo, Illinois and eventually out of Illinois and right out of the United States. And each one of these cases the latter-day Saints are are experiencing great trials and great tribulations. Section 121 is in the liberty jail. It starts out with a prayer by Joseph Smith that takes the first six verses. So verses 1 through 6 of section 121 is a prayer where Joseph is crying out to the Lord because of the adversity and the afflictions of his people. Look at verse 3, talking about the people, "how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?" So you see, this prayer, how long are the latter-day Saints going to suffer? Now let's look at the answer verse 7 and 8. Someone want to read verse 7 and 8 for us? student: "my son, peace be unto thy soul; and adversity and affliction shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt the on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." Mike: now there's a great principle. Let's look and see what we can learn there. "Peace be unto thy soul, and adversity and affliction shall be small moment" what's the principle to learn from that verse when we're in the midst of suffering and trial and adversity. What's to be learned there? Student: it will pass. Mike: yes. All of it at best is temporary. You live in a temporary world. Everything in this world is temporary. Everything has beginnings and endings. Over and James chapter 4, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, James the apostle says, "resist the devil and he will flee from you"... "The resist the devil and he

6 will flee from you". Even the dark ones, even the evil ones, don't have any staying power. If they can't get you within their timeframe. They back off go away and try to attack you from another thing. So resisting he will flee. So everything has an end to it. Think about this for a minute. Think back in your life when you're at a time you're being severely tried. Just kind to go back and find someplace in your life and things were dark, and is a friend of mine says, look up to your eyebrows and alligators. Now will assume that's over and that you're not in that circumstance right now. Were assuming that's over. When you look back on it it's over doesn't ever seem as bad looking back on it as an you were it? Student: no Mike: And I would answer, if I look back at times in my life where things were with that way. It never seems as bad looking back over it as it did when I was up to my eyeballs in it. And that kind of ties in with this. It's at best... is temporary and will end. Now look at verse 8 the big word in verse 8 is only two letters long... 'if'. And I have that circle. And then 'If', That your big word right there. Big meaning, small word. " If thou endure it well", I see the indication is you're going to endure it no matter what. I had to chuckle at members of the church, and I've done all my life, we say the first principles of ordinances of the gospel are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, laying on of hands for gift of the Holy Ghost, and what's the 5th one? Endure to the end, right? That's false doctrine. Enduring to the end is false doctrine. Why? Why is it false doctrine? Because you're going to endure to the end, because that simply means you live until you die. Everybody's going to live till they die, so everyone is going to endure to the end. The end is the end of your mortal life. Everybody's going to do that. What's the big deal? We need to change that phrase and say the fifth one is endure in righteousness to the end of your life. You need to add that in there. Otherwise that just means you can be alive until you die. And there's no meaning to that. There's no depth in that. So it comes out, if thou endure it well, God will exalt the on high and thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. And the last foe... the last foes death. Is physical and spiritual death.[31:37] So your adversities, brothers and sisters, can do one of two things to you depending on how you endure it. Either endure it well, or you endure it not well. You going to endure it. Because you're going to be in until your out of it. So it's either going to one of two things, it's either to make you bitter or it's going to make you better. And you're in control of the lesson you can learn and the experience you can derive from the adversity and trial that you pass through. And remember what Brigham Young said, " some of these trials are ordained ordeals that are specifically designed to move you into the Church of the Firstborn and give you full membership in that Zion society." It's up to you. So how are you going to this, so what's the purpose of our lesson tonight. The purpose is for us to take a different look adversity, trial, opposition, and resistance and have a restored latter-day doctrine view of that, that helps us, so that when were in it we can endure it well. That's the whole purpose. Because if you don't endure it well and it a makes you bitter, instead of better what's the purpose of it? What was gained? Student: nothing. Mike: Nothing Was gained. So, if nothing is gained from the experience, you leave this world traveling into the next world, the world to come, without an advantage. And we don't want to do that. You see want to move from this world into the next world with an advantage. Let's look at one more, let's look at section 122. This is kind of a... still Joseph Smith in the liberty jail. Liberty jail for Joseph Smith was the trial of his faith. Do you know that? Every person who comes up and obtains the Zion of heaven has an encounter with the Lord and knows the Lord in a unique and a way that is supposed to be, and not know about him, but know's him. Every person that does that has to travel this path. You can't circumvent this. So the greater the glory, the greater the experience, the greater the encounter, the greater the opposition, the greater the adversity, the one goes with the other. One travels the same path... you're on the same path as our ancient fathers; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;

7 who are now Gods, according to section 132, and sit upon thrones. It's the same path. The very same path. So now let's go to section 122. And 122 talks about the travail, the tribulation that Joseph Smith passed through. I just want to go... the first four, first six verses talk about Joseph tribulations. And then 7 is kind of a capstone. It builds in a crescendo. If this should happen to you, then this should happen to you, and then if this should happen to you, and we get down to verse 7 and this is the cap of it... "and if thou shouldest be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon the; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against the, if fierce winds become thine enemy, if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; above all, just a very jaws of hell should gape open the mouth wide after thee, " If all things happen, here is the lesson you; are you ready? After that, here's the lesson, " know thou, my son, that all these things shall give the experience, and shall be for thy good." See that. Now if you take a look at experience, which comes in world of opposition. You shall experience some things. Is going to be good for you? Are you going to learn from it? Are you going to gain from it? Is a make you better? Is it going to make you bitter? You determine that. Having this view of adversity helps you make the determination that I'm going to be better as a result of this and not be bitter. That the whole purpose of this knowledge. People who end up shaking their fists at God because of the things they experience and suffer don't have access to this knowledge. You and I do. So we should have a better view, and as a result, be able to endure things well. And as you come out of the experience, its experience is for your good. Now watch, experience is the mother or can be... Is the mother of wisdom.[37:08] Go to Section 11 in the Doctrine & Covenants, 11 let me show you something. Wisdom is a gem desired by all who seek Godhood. Section 11 verse 7, now remember, that wisdom can not come without experience. So the child of experience, can be, should be, desired to be, wisdom. Now look what it says, "seek not" verse 11 section 7, "seek not for riches but for wisdom; and, behold", here's your sequence, if you obtain wisdom, watch, " the mystery of of God shall be unfolded unto you". Look at that, "and then", meaning after you have attained the mysteries of God, "then shall you be made rich. Behold he that has eternal life is rich." What is the end result of opposition: experience; going in a sequence; wisdom; mysteries of God; eternal riches; and eternal life. That's a sequence. Can I be so bold as to suggest that your greatest wisdom comes from your greatest suffering. I do not believe there is any wisdom to be obtained sitting on a park bench in the sunshine. I believe that wisdom is found in dark, trying, opposing, resisting, situations. That is where wisdom comes. Thoughts and comments? Does this make sense? Student: it does. Mike: so now we go back to... there is no such thing as bad things that happen to good people. That's a comment made by people who don't have a knowledge of the restoration doctrines of adversity, opposition, trial. They don't have a knowledge that we do. So, there's no bad things that happen to good people, there is just life. And the trials of life that are designed to do what... make you godly. It's all designed to make you godly. Richard Bushman wrote a book here recently, in the last few years, called,' A rough stone rolling'. Any of you read that book? Student: no, never heard of it. Mike: okay, 'Rough stone rolling'. The title of that book is taken by comment by the prophet Joseph Smith when he said, "I'm like a huge rough stone rolling down the mountainside." He referred to himself as a huge rough stone rolling down the mountainside. And as that stone rolls down the mountainside it strikes up against other rough rocks and chips off pieces of off the rock, and he describes hitting up against priestcraft, as he hits up against oppositions, he hits up against adversity, hits up its against mobs, and violence and being driven, and etc. etc., all hell breaking off a piece here

8 and there until I become a polished stone in the quiver of the Almighty. A polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty. See, and that polishing comes from striking up against opposing forces, and breaking off the rough edges off of you and polishing you as it goes down the hill. Joseph said, " I'm like a rough stone rolling". See. student: did you... Did you ever heard the little story on the refiner's fire? Mike: no, go ahead student: well, I will send it to you Mike: okay student:[42:10] <???>it something like this, you know, it's really nice I'll send it to you. Mike: thank you, I'd like to see it. As were as we try to wrap things up your little bit here is a quote by Pres. Kimball who knew quite a little bit about suffering, disappointment, circumstances beyond his control. Remember, President Kimball had a lot of physical trials. That raspy little voice of his came as a result from having his vocal cords cut out because of this cancer. He had learned to speak against. And his voice became famous among all the latter-day Saints. It was a reminder of the things that he suffered. He said this... this is in the book 'Faith Precedes the Miracle'. You said, " Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves a continual ease and comfort. But if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make Saints of people, as they learn patience longsuffering and self-mastery". One of our greatest friends is physical pain. One of the greatest friends that we've got. So, brothers and sisters, where much is given much is expected. The Lord wants to see... can I trust you... can I trust you with... I have great blessings for you. Go to section 121, and let me show you the day that we live in here, as we wind up our discussion. Not much of discussion tonight, just me kind of talking. Go to section 121 and let's go to verse 26.. This is part of 121 that we never read. I don't believe I've ever heard this quoted anywhere. We quote the first part of 121 and we quote the last part, "many are called, but few are chosen". You know, we quote that, but here's a part I don't believe... I don't we can't ever heard quoted in a general conference or taught in the lesson. Let's go to verse 26. "God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost," see if we are Scripture students, we want to ask ourselves a question: why does the Lord refer to the Gift of the Holy Ghost as unspeakable? You want to ponder that. This knowledge now, that he's going to give you through the Holy Spirit and the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost. But what he says he says, this knowledge "that has not been revealed since the world was until now". Of coarse the date of section 121 is So there's something that is available to us right now, that has never been revealed until now. Look at the next verse. Our forefathers, think about your ancestors, have waited with anxious expectations for this knowledge to be revealed in the last times. now the forefathers are dead. So they're waiting for something to be revealed that wasn't revealed in their lifetime, but will revealed to their children; which their minds were pointed to by angels. In other words, these forefathers who are dead was before this knowledge came upon the earth, had visions; and had dreams; and were shown the restoration of this knowledge to their children. They did personally enjoy it themselves. But they received promises from the Angels and holy beings that this knowledge would be poured about upon their children. And look what it says, " held in reserve for the fullness of their glory." So whatever it is their children are going to receive, that are showed by angels, is necessary for their glory in the eternal heavens. Interesting stuff. "At time to come in which nothing shall be withheld". Nothing! This is our day. I was teaching the high priest group today in our class and we were teaching the lesson by brother Hunter on receiving help from on high. And I told them that, I said, we live in a day where things are reserved for us that have never been available ever in the history of the world. They are reserve for us and were not tapping into those things that have our name on them. They belong to us. And are not accessing them because we fail to ask, seek, and knock. Receiving these hidden things that been held in reserve are conditioned upon you asking. All you have

9 to do is ask, seek, and knock; and the Lord opens up the door for these things. Some of the things are is there: " one God or many gods, they shall be manifest. All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ." And then the last sentence and verse 31 says, all these things "shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fullness of times". Now that's what's available to us. I would say that with the events that are common upon us, with the trials and tribulations that are coming upon us, and I say this positively, because I say mother Earth is being prepared to transition from a telestial to a terrestrial world. It is getting ready to leave this solar system with this sun, with these other eight planets, that are in our solar system. This earth is being prepared to move back in space closer to the center of this galaxy from where it was first created. The next place it will move back to will be a third of the way closer to the center that it is now. student: that only happens when... that happens when your not ready. Mike: if you're not qualified to make that transition, you'll be taken from the earth by fire. Your body will die in a fire and your spirit will go into a prison place where you will not be able to enjoy the terrestrial world that's coming. It's an interesting thing that, Lorenzo Snow once heard a man asked Joseph Smith, "Who are you? Who are you?" And here's what the prophet Joseph Smith said, "Noah came before the flood, I come before the fire." So everything that we have here is designed to help us transition from one place to another. We want to make the move with the earth. The earth is a living being, a living breathing soul, it breaths, it's a soul, it has a body and the spirit. Its female. It has a voice, it can speak, and it's an obedient planet. Not all planets are obedient. The one that we are is obedient. It fulfills the measure of its creation and transgress is not the law. And the law is the law the celestial kingdom. What we want to do, as children of God, is stay with this earth as it cycles back in its upward movement back towards, where it was first created... To where it will become a celestial world. And dwell in the center of this galaxy with other innumerable celestial worlds that have gone through the same process. We need to be able to make the trip. student: does that also include the spirits in the spirit world? Mike: yes, I've got questions on how that will works, but yes, it would. Because eventually those spirits, in the spiritual world, who are not allowed to live on the earth's face during the terrestrial millennial reign, will have to come out of that spirit place, be resurrected and inherit a planet prepared for them which will be a telestial world. So yes. I'm not sure how that works. But yes there part of this Earth's probationary state. And even the millennial reign, brothers and sisters, is a probationary state; it's just extended to a higher order. In other words, it's still possible, a probationary state means it's possible for persons to fall. And we know that the millennial's is probationary estate because toward the end of the millennial era you have a war and many, many people fall. See that? So the earth is... In all of its... Until it's resurrected, until it dies, and is resurrected as a celestial world, and crowned as a celestial world; until that happens it's in a probationary state. Is just moving from a lower to a higher position. So the purpose of all the last days scenarios of this trial and so on, that the Scriptures talk about, the people don't want to talk about, they say, "oh, that's doom and gloom." That's nonsense. It is not doom and gloom, what are doing, is you're talking about the transition of the telestial world into a terrestrial world. You're going from a mortal, corrupt, dying place into a place where there is no more physical death. There's no more disease. And those who abide that day on the earth and are able to make that transition are going to be blessed to enjoy 1000 years of the presence of the son of God in the millennial terrestrial translated, not resurrected, but translated state. Because the millennium in a terrestrial world is a translation state; terrestrial doctrine is translation doctrine; resurrection doctrine is celestial doctrine. We get up in that area. One comes before the other. [54:36 ]So our review is... Look at this look... Look at this... at this opposition with some optimism it is

10 the very thing this will make you God. Is the very thing this would qualify you to make the transition from a dying telestial, sick and tired world, into a translated wonderful world of light where there's been no need for a planetary sun. When this earth moves out of this solar system and goes back to wherever it's terrestrial abode is for a 1000 years, there won't be a sun in the sky. The sun that will light the terrestrial world is the son of God and his glory. The physical sun that we see in the sky now is a temporary light for the telestial world; because were so far out from the center of that galactic light, which is a bulge of innumerable celestial worlds, were so far out, that the light from the center of the galaxy can't reaches where were at so we have to have an artificial light that we call the sun, SUN. Which is a symbol of the son, SON. Symbol see. So all truth... all truth is circumscribed into one great whole. Everything fits. That make sense does that feel right? Student:<???> Mike: okay. So for our lesson today was on diversity in the purpose of that. And I'm so thankful for this knowledge. I've had some diversity in my life and have you. But were going to have all that we can handle in a coming day and were going to need to have this knowledge, which gives us power. Knowledge is power. And when you have knowledge of spiritual things it bestows upon you spiritual power. That's what is to take through what's coming, to circumvent, to navigate the coming day, of adversity. You're going to need all the power that you can get to do it. all right. We been at it for an hour. Are there any Questions or comments before we have a closing prayer? Resources: Nephi 11 Discourses of Brigham Young, page 345 Neil Maxwell D&C 45 D&C 29 D&C 88 D&C 98:1-3 D&C Nephi 2 D&C 121 D&C 122:7 D&C 11 Faith Precedes the Miracle, Kimble